Our Lady of the River School eNewsletter

Happy Easter!

I hope you had a wonderful break and enjoyed some quality time with your loved ones. In the Catholic tradition, we celebrate the 'Season of Easter', which lasts for six weeks after Easter day. This means that we are still in the midst of the most important season of our calendar. During Easter, we hear stories of Jesus appearing to the disciples and asking them to continue his work by shining their light in the world. These stories are shared during Sunday Masses and encourage us to be like the disciples in continuing the work of Jesus to bring peace and justice to our world. Thank you to all the family and parish members who joined us in prayer and the retelling of the Easter Story. I hope you enjoy a few more pictures from Part 1, and then a video of Part 2.

Diocesan Lantern Journey Liturgy

We are continuing to celebrate our 2024 Diocesan theme of "Let Your Light Shine" in the Port Pirie Diocese. To connect each of the 14 schools and represent our unique faith and mission to bring to life the values of the Gospels, we have a lantern travelling to each school. This lantern is a symbol of inspiration, encouraging everyone to shine their light and make the world a better place.

Our Lady of the River was second in line to bask in the glory of the Diocesan Lantern. We gathered to welcome the Port Pirie Diocesan Lantern as a part of our Easter Resurrection Liturgy, which aligned perfectly. Jesus is the Risen Light and Hope that dispels the darkness. As believers, we are called to follow Jesus, the world's light. Therefore, we must live in the light of faith and guide others out of the darkness. We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated in this significant event. The lantern then toured our school from F/1 to 5/6 before settling in the front office, where it will remain until it travels to Barmera next Term.

Happy Travels to our Diocesan Lantern!

May its light shine brightly and bring positive energy to all who come across it.

Light and Blessings!
Rosemary Perre

APRIM

As we finish Term One I look back and I’m amazed at how much we’ve done. From new Literacy programs in our junior primary classes, to excursions, SAPSASA, Lent and Easter, and everything else in between, OLOR has certainly been a busy place! Our students have been amazing in their efforts and we thank families for their support of the school and their children. We always look for ways to make OLOR better and thank families for their feedback.

In the last couple of weeks we have enjoyed the Resurrection story, as the follow up to our Easter play. We thank the Year 5/6 students for their lead with this. We also had the opportunity to join together for a Lantern Liturgy, celebrating the theme this year of ‘Let Your Light Shine’ with a special lantern that is touring around the Diocese of Port Pirie this year and visiting each school. School Captains Ally and Bode, as well as myself, signed a special scroll accompanying the lantern on its journey. It will now move on to other Riverland Catholic schools before being shared to another part of the Diocese mid-way through next term.

We had a very successful day at SAPSASA Athletics last week, winning the Champion Medium School award for the second year running. Our students put in great efforts, and their sportsmanship and positive encouragement of others was great to see. Thanks to Mr Smart, Mr Dunn and Kirrilly for their support of students on the day.

We also took part in SAPSASA Hockey on Wednesday this week. Once again our students show great efforts and did themselves proud. Thanks to Ms Moll-Short and Brad for their efforts with the team.

We took the rest of our Year 4/5/6 students to the ANZAC Day Commemorative Service for schools on Wednesday, which is a wonderful chance to pay our respects to those who have served our country in many wars over the years. It is so important for students today to hear of the sacrifice, bravery and loss that our ancestors endured so we can have the wonderful country we have today. During the holidays our School Captains Bode and Ally will lay a wreath at the dawn service in at the Upper Murray Garden of Memory in Barmera. Lest we forget.

We hope all families enjoy the chance to spend more time with their children over the holidays. Term 2 starts on Monday 29^th April and we have plenty to look forward to, including camps, excursions, Catholic Education Week and many more things. Have a great break and see you next term!

Mr Michael Slagter
Principal

Karlie Vince is taking Maternity leave for the rest of 2024 as she awaits the birth of her second child. We wish her all the best for a safe delivery and the chance spend time with her growing family. She plans to return in 2025. Kirrilly Curyer, who has been supporting Karlie in the front office, is studying teaching and looking at undertaking more classroom ESO support as she develops her teaching skills.

I am pleased to announce that Mrs Julie Slagter has won the full-time front office position for the remainder of 2024. Mrs Rosie Perre, Karlie Vince and Fr Emil Mikwego worked through the interview process and I thank them for their diligence. Julie joins us with over 20 years experience as a teacher in schools and early learning, and we wish her well as she joins the OLOR team in a different role. I am sure all of our families will make her feel welcome.

Shrove Tuesday Celebrations:

We kicked off the term with delicious festivities on Shrove Tuesday! Our students enjoyed scrumptious pancakes, loaded with toppings of their choice. It was a delightful way to mark the beginning of Lent and indulge in some tasty treats together.

Ash Wednesday:

Following Shrove Tuesday, we attended the Ash Wednesday mass, marking the start of the Lenten season. Students participated in a meaningful service where ashes were applied to foreheads in the sign of the cross, symbolising repentance and reflection. It was a solemn yet significant occasion for our school community.

Paperboats Performance at the Chaffey Theatre:

One of the highlights of the term was our outing to the Chaffey Theatre to witness the mesmerising performance of "Paperboats." Our students were captivated by the creativity and talent on display. It was a memorable experience that sparked imagination and inspired artistic expression.

School Photos:

Smiles were abundant as we gathered for our annual school photos. Students dressed their best and posed for the camera, capturing cherished memories of the school year. These photos will serve as lasting mementos of our time together.

Easter Plays:

As Easter approached, our students showcased their acting skills in the much-anticipated Easter plays! From portraying biblical characters to reenacting timeless stories, each performance was filled with passion and enthusiasm. It was a joyous celebration of faith and creativity.

As we reflect on the events of the past term, we're filled with gratitude for the wonderful experiences shared and the growth witnessed in each student. Here's to continued learning, laughter, and community in the upcoming term!

Miss Lange
Year 1/2 Teacher

SAPSASA Hockey

On the 10^th of April students from OLOR played sapsasa hockey. Everyone showed great sportsmanship, persistence, and resilience. The students that represented OLOR did very well even though some of the students have never played hockey before. The students had to learn the rules but when they did, they were incredibly surprised how easy the sport was.

OLOR played five games and won four out of five of games they played. Sadly, the game OLOR lost was the Grand final, but I think everyone should be proud of their amazing efforts, OLOR came first in their pool but came second overall.

Altogether we scored eight goals Charlie scored six, Troy scored one and Catie scored one. Everyone had lots of fun playing and we all gave it a go and tried our best. We won most of our games except for our last game and we made it to the finals which we were very proud of. All of us will remember the fun times we had at sapsasa hockey.

SAPSASA Athletics

On the 3^rd of April, 19 students from OLOR travelled to Renmark High School to compete at SAPSASA Athletics. Throughout the day it was amazing to see the students challenge themselves and compete against the other Riverland schools. Some notable achievements for the day included:

Catie Camilleri-Turner - 2^nd in the 100m
Ocea Vallelonga - 2^nd in 100m and 1^st in 200m
Charlie Kregar - 3^rd in the 100m and long jump and tied 1^st in 200m
Ada Dalamagas - 3^rd in discus and shot put
Van Koch -1^st in discus and 2^nd in high jump
Jaxon Curyer - finished high jump 2^nd
Bode Gates - 1^st in high jump

The students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and encouragement for their fellow team members. At the conclusion of the day, they announced the shield winners and OLOR managed to win the medium sized school shield only by 2 points, what a fantastic achievement.